Ibstock and Earth Friendly Concrete Join Forces to Support ESG Aspirations
Ibstock and Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) have formed a new partnership to develop ultra-low carbon concrete products.
This new cooperation supports Ibstock's ambitious ESG ambitions. Ibstock is committed to 'Manufacture Materials for Life' and enhancing the environmental performance of its products, having just released its ESG Strategy to 2030. Its 2030 goal is to generate 20% of sales turnover revenue from new sustainable products.
Ibstock will develop innovative solutions with greater environmental performance, as the built environment accounts for 25% of the UK's carbon emissions. EFC is more environmentally friendly than traditional concrete, with approximately 70% less embodied CO2, saving 250kg of CO2 each cubic metre poured. It is manufactured with a binder comprised of industrial waste products, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and pulverised fly ash, but no Portland Cement.
EFC's ultra-low carbon, zero cement technology will be integrated into Ibstock's extensive array of high-performance building products for the construction industry, including products for the rail, infrastructure, and UK housing markets, as part of the agreement.
The technology outperforms Ordinary Portland Cement-based solutions in terms of durability, shrinkage, flexural tensile strength, and fire resistance and is the only zero-cement concrete technology that has been proven at scale on real-life commercial projects throughout the world.
Darren Waters, Chief Operating Officer at Ibstock, said:
“As a business at the heart of the building, our ambition is to be the most sustainable manufacturer of concrete products in the UK. Collaborating with EFC marks a significant step in achieving this goal as we collaborate and innovate to manufacture materials for life.
“More than ever, customers are looking for products which offer great functionality but also have robust sustainability credentials. In 2020, the Ibstock concrete division invested in a new concrete laboratory at its site in Anstone, Sheffield, to facilitate the development of sustainable concrete that features reduced embodied carbon and therefore has a lower environmental impact. At this advanced facility, we are already developing and testing innovative new concrete mixes that incorporate EFC to ensure we achieve our own sustainability goals, as well as contribute to those of the wider sector, without compromising on quality or performance.”
EFC UK Regional Manager Andy Izod said:
“We are delighted to strengthen our presence in the UK through this partnership with Ibstock.
“We will not only focus on introducing Earth Friendly Concrete into the wider construction market across a range of projects, regions, applications and supply chains but will also share our ground-breaking technology with partners like Ibstock, which will help them to achieve ultra-low carbon outcomes for their business.”
Source: Ibstock
